and if Nathan knew HALF of what some of the Early Church believed, he would discover that he actually has FAR more in common with Roman Catholics, then he does the early church.

I think that comment is nonsense. Unless you are lumping the apostate sects of early Christianity in with Christ's true Church. Of course, heresy has existed in the Church since the beginning and it is our job to root it out, even if it offends people or hurts their feelings. Heresy will continue to exist in the Church until Christ's return.

Catholics don't officially worship the Pope, but the office still hovers dangerously close to idolatry. When people start worshipping or praying to the Pope, that's when it becomes idolatry. Of course, that can apply to any leader, but the Catholic Church seems to specifically invite idolatry with it's hierarchical system of Pope, Bishops, Priests, etc. Other denominations of Christianity (note that I didn't say Catholics aren't Christians), have a hierarchical system of government (Methodist, Lutheran, Orthodox, etc.), but the temptation to worship those in leadership doesn't seem to be as pronounced as it is in Catholicism.